Hard Choices
by ToTheJourney2014
Summary: Rick Grimes lost his wife. Katherine McKinney lost her daughter. After the two of them meet, they both have some very difficult decisions to make. - For jessica.orr.1884 ... Thanks for helping with the idea and for the use of your OC. :)
1. Chapter 1

Katherine McKinney stopped to wipe the sweat from her brow while resting her other hand on her largely swollen stomach. She turned in a slow circle as she debated the best way to go. It had been several hours since she had come across a dead one, but she knew she couldn't hold out hope that there wouldn't be more down the road. She finally decided that her best option would be to just keep going the same direction she had been traveling. Logic told her that she would have to come across some kind of shelter eventually. "Don't worry," she whispered as she rubbed her stomach. "We'll find a safe place for you to come into the world."

It was a few hours later before Katherine spotted the building. According to the sign out front, it had been a day care at one time. She knew it would be the perfect place to stay until she had her baby. She wasn't sure how much longer that would be, but she knew it wouldn't be more than a few weeks. She was worried that it would be any day.

There were a couple of dead ones milling around the outside of the day care, but they didn't worry Katherine. She had grown up in a large family of hunters in Georgia. There had always been a good supply of deer, duck, rabbit, squirrel, and turkey meat in their home... depending on the hunting season they were in. It was a tradition that she had carried with her into her own life when she had set off on her own eighteen years before. She was as comfortable using a knife and gun as she was using a hairbrush and toothbrush. It only took her a few minutes to kill the dead ones, pick the lock on the front door of the day care, and slip inside.

The interior of the day care was dark and quiet, but Katherine still took her time as she went through every room to make sure she was alone. Once she was satisfied, she began checking each room for supplies. She was delighted to find bottles, diapers, cans of formula, a few baby clothes, and a few more cans of food to be able to add to her already heavy pack.

She made herself a nice pallet from several of the crib mattresses in what had obviously been the infant room and discovered a stash of blankets that had apparently been used for the older kids during nap times. She smiled to herself. She was going to sleep well while she was in the day care. She made herself comfortable and then used her knife, after cleaning it really well, to open a can of ravioli that she dug out of her pack.

It still felt early to her, so she fished around in her pack until she found a candle and a box of matches. Pulling out one of the few books she carried with her, she used the light from the burning candle to read for a while. She wasn't sure how long she read before deciding to call it a night. It was completely dark outside. She frowned, feeling a little strange, but shrugged it off as she blew out the candle and laid down to go to sleep.

Several hours later, Katherine woke up with a scream as the first contraction seized her. The sun was shining in through the grime coated windows of the room as she curled up on her side.

~C~

Maggie Greene clutched the baby tighter in her arms as she turned back to look at Carl Grimes with a look of absolute horror written all over her face. She had just delivered his little sister, and there had been complications. His mother had died a few minutes after Maggie had cut the baby from her stomach, and the thirteen year old boy had just put a bullet into his own mother's brain to keep her from turning into a walker.

"Come on." Carl spoke with no emotion as he stood up, a look of horrific resolution on his face. He moved quickly as he stepped past Maggie and his new little sister to lead the way through the corridors of the prison their group called home. "Let's go."

Maggie followed silently behind Carl, the two of them killing the few remaining walkers that stood between them and the outside. As Carl pushed open the door that led outside, she could see Rick Grimes and the others looking around. Rick was the father of Carl and the baby she was holding in her arms. She knew they were all looking for the two of them and Lori, the mother. None of them were even aware that Lori had gone into labor at the beginning of the attack on their prison.

Carl pushed the door open and held it for Maggie, staying silent. He felt kind of hollow on the inside and couldn't bring himself to look at anyone. Everything was too horrible. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be feeling, much less thinking.

Rick looked over as the door opened, his heart racing for joy as he watched his son step outside. He kept staring as Maggie walked out with a small bundle wrapped in her arms. He kept looking past her, but it only took a few moments for him to realize that Lori wouldn't be coming out with them.

Maggie nodded in response to Rick's unasked question as she placed his daughter in his arms. "I'm sorry," she whispered before turning around and throwing herself into her boyfriend's arms.

Glenn Rhee held Maggie tight as she sobbed in his arms, silent tears falling down his cheeks. He watched over the top of her head as Rick handed the baby over to Carl and disappeared into the interior of the prison.

Daryl Dixon looked over at Hershel. "What do we need for her?" he asked, referring to the baby.

"Formula," Hershel answered immediately. "As much of it as we can get so we can feed her. Bottles and nipples, too."

Daryl nodded, shifting the strap of his crossbow on his shoulder as he turned and walked toward his motorcycle.

"I'm coming with you," Maggie called out as she pulled away from Glenn. She wiped at her face and gave Glenn a gentle kiss. "This is something I have to do," she said as she moved over to Daryl's motorcycle. She swung her leg over the seat and wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist, the scabbard of her machete bouncing lightly against her back.

~C~

Sweat poured off of Katherine' skin as she panted through another contraction. She had already removed her pants, but things didn't seem to be moving very quickly despite the fact that the contractions were coming closer together. She started to push herself up from the pallet to try walking around after remembering that had been on of the tricks the doctor had used to get her friend's labor to progress. She was sitting up on the edge of the pallet when her water suddenly broke, gushing over the side of the pallet and onto the floor. She screamed as the most intense contraction yet came over her.

Daryl pulled the motorcycle to a stop and motioned toward the sign he had spotted. "Day care," he said. "Bet we can find some stuff in there."

Maggie nodded, climbing off the motorcycle and following Daryl around the side of the building. She spotted a partially open window and climbed through it after Daryl had opened it the rest of the way.

The two of them separated slightly, poking through cabinets and drawers. Maggie found a package of three bottles that were still in their original packaging and some soft cloths. She put these into the empty pack Daryl had gotten off of his motorcycle before the two of them moved into the kitchen.

Daryl watched as Maggie added the cans of formula she found in the upper cabinets to the pack, turning quickly when he heard a noise coming from a larger cabinet on the opposite side of the kitchen. He nodded, his crossbow held ready, as Maggie pulled the knife from her belt and opened the door.

The black eyes of a raccoon glinted in the light from the flashlight Daryl held between his teeth. Maggie barely repressed a shudder of revulsion as Daryl shot the raccoon.

Daryl glanced at Maggie with a grin as he picked up the raccoon by the arrow that was now lodged deep inside of its body. "Dinner."

Maggie stiffened up when she heard a sudden scream. "That wasn't a raccoon." She kept her knife gripped firmly in her hand, opting to leave her machete in the scabbard across her back. She was just in front of Daryl as the two of them moved into the small hallway, both of them alert for any signs of movement.

Katherine fell back on the pallet she had fixed for herself, panting for breath as the latest contraction ended. Tears were now mingled with the sweat on her face. She was terrified and had no idea how she was going to be able to do this on her own, but she knew she didn't have a choice. She heard the sounds of something coming and whimpered, knowing she was in no condition to be able to fight off any of the dead ones. She fumbled in the outer pocket of her pack until she found her gun, thankful she had taken one from her supply at home that had a silencer attached to it as she aimed it toward the door of the room.

Maggie nodded as Daryl put his hand on the doorknob, poised to attack as soon as he opened the door. She ducked quickly, on instinct, as a bullet flew over her head and shattered the plaster on the wall behind her. "Daryl, wait!" she called out, stopping her friend from using his crossbow to shoot back.

Katherine saw the two people coming into the room, blurry through her tears. The gun trembled in her hands as she tried to focus on them, crying out as she was seized by another contraction. The gun fell to the floor as she grabbed her stomach, feeling an overwhelming urge to start pushing.

Daryl leaned his crossbow against the wall a few feet from the woman as Maggie knelt down on the end of the pallet. "We ain't gonna hurt you," he said, his voice gruff with emotion he was doing his best to hide. He had always had a soft spot for women, especially pregnant ones.

Maggie gave the woman a small smile, reaching out and pushing the woman's knees apart. "I'm Maggie," she said, introducing herself. She looked up at Daryl. "Get behind her, Daryl, and help her sit up a little so she can push better." She glanced back at the woman. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Katherine," Katherine responded through clenched teeth as she pushed with the contraction. She leaned back against Daryl and did her best to breathe through the pain.

"You're doing great, Katherine," Maggie spoke encouragingly. "Keep pushing." She reached out to help guide the baby out, turning it slightly as it slowly emerged. She kept a stoic expression on her face, feeling her heart breaking again. Three contractions later, the baby was all of the way out, and Maggie was staring down at is bluish skin.

The baby was dead.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why isn't the baby crying?" Katherine questioned, trying to lean forward to see her baby.

Daryl saw the look on Maggie's face and knew the truth. He laid Katherine gently down on the pallet and brushed a few tendrils of hair back from her face. "We'll just get the baby cleaned up and stuff. You rest." He didn't wait for her to respond, moving down the pallet to Maggie and sighing under his breath. He pulled the knife from his belt, sliding it into the baby's temple and then cutting the cord. He watched as Maggie pulled a blanket from her pack from the ones she had taken earlier, wrapping the baby tightly in it.

There were tears on Maggie's cheeks as she looked up at Katherine. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to the other woman. She cradled the baby in her arms as she crawled up the pallet to kneel beside Katherine. She laid the baby gently on its mother's chest, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "It was a girl," she said softly. She moved back over to Daryl, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing against the top of his shoulder.

Katherine looked down at her daughter, sobbing silently for several minutes before she finally got herself under control. She swallowed hard and looked over at the other two. "I knew it," she whispered softly. "Some part of me knew my baby was dead yesterday, but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted so much to hold her."

Daryl's attention perked up as he began to hear sounds outside. It was obvious walkers were coming closer, maybe drawn by the screams Katherine had made while giving birth or maybe by the smell of the blood. Either way, he knew they couldn't stay there much longer. "We need to move," he stated, looking at each woman. "We'll take you back to where we're staying," he spoke to Katherine. "It'll be a tight fit, but you can ride between us on my motorcycle."

Maggie nodded. "My dad can check to make sure you're okay," she added, looking at Katherine. She reached to take the baby back so Daryl could help the woman to her feet. "We can bury your daughter there, too. We have a few friends who will keep her company."

Katherine sighed, accepting Daryl's hand as the man helped her slowly sit up. She pulled a clean pair of pants from her pack and used him as a crutch as she pulled them on, leaning on him as the three of them made their way back to the window where Daryl and Maggie had come in. She winced as she climbed slowly through the window and then onto the motorcycle behind Daryl, keeping her daughter clutched close to her chest.

Maggie slid onto the motorcycle behind Katherine, wrapping her arms around the woman and nodding as Katherine wrapped one arm around Daryl. Maggie pulled her gun out of its holster and shot a couple of the walkers that were heading toward them as Daryl raced back the way they had come, taking them back to the prison.

Daryl nodded to Carl and Glenn as he rode his motorcycle through the gates the two of them had opened when they saw him coming. He held the motorcycle steady after shutting off its engine, waiting for the two women to climb off before doing so himself. He looked over to the yard where Axel and Oscar were digging graves before looking over at Hershel. "We're gonna need one more... a small one." He motioned toward Katherine and the baby that was still cradled in her arms.

Hershel nodded as he moved over toward the woman. "My name is Hershel Greene," he stated, introducing himself. "Maggie's my daughter." He reached out and took the wrapped bundle from her arms, frowning sadly as he opened the blanket and looked at the dead infant. He passed the baby to Daryl before taking the woman by the hand. "Daryl's gonna take care of your baby while I get you settled inside. Maggie, I want you and Beth to fix a bottle for Carl's little sister."

Katherine nodded and followed Hershel mutely inside, staying silent as he got her settled onto a cot on one of the empty cells. She stared up at the bottom of the cot above her as he examined her, not even noticing when he covered her up a few minutes later and left her alone.

A few hours later, Beth looked up as Rick came into the dining area. She kissed his baby girl gently on the forehead before sliding her into her father's arms.

Rick stared at his baby girl for several moments before looking around at the others. "Glenn said Daryl and Maggie brought someone back with them. Where is she?"

"In the cell next to Dad's," Beth answered. "I took her some stew a few minutes ago, but I don't think she even knows I was in there." She frowned, a sad expression on her face. "I think she's in shock, but Dad says there's nothing physically wrong with her."

Rick nodded, giving the baby back to Beth before leaving the dining area without another word. He walked down to the cell where the woman was, noting the untouched bowl of stew on the floor by the cot. He sighed as he sat down on the edge of the cot and touched the woman's shoulder.

Katherine didn't react to the touch. She was laying on her side, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

Rick sighed again, reaching out and rolling the woman over so he could see her face. "Daryl and Maggie say you were at the day care they found. What's your name?"

It took Katherine several moments to focus on the man and what he was saying. "Katherine," she finally responded quietly.

"My name's Rick," he replied. "I'm really sorry about what happened to you." He sighed quietly, rubbing a hand over his face. "My daughter was just born this morning. She lived, but we lost my wife." He looked her in the eyes. "We want you to stay here with us, but I need to ask you two questions first." He waited for a response, continuing when she just stared at him. "How many walkers have you killed?"

Katherine looked at him blankly for a long time before realizing what he was asking. "I haven't kept track of how many dead ones I've killed," she finally answered. "I've been on my own since a couple of weeks after the outbreak."

Rick nodded, satisfied with her answer. "How many people have you killed?"

"Two," Katherine replied. "I killed my best friend after she was bitten to keep her from turning, and I killed a man a few months ago who tried to attack me."

Rick nodded again. He gently pulled the woman into a sitting position, leaning her back against the wall. He picked up the bowl of stew and began to feed her. Once the bowl was empty, he pulled her to her feet. He led her outside and over to the graves, staying back to give her some privacy.

Katherine stared at the graves, slowly looking at each one before her eyes focused on the one he had stopped her in front of. It was smaller than all of the others, and she knew it was where they had buried her daughter. Tears welled up in her eyes, no longer feeling the emptiness she had been feeling since Hershel had taken her inside. She fell to her knees, sobs pouring out of her as her fingers dug into the dirt of the grave, clinging to it as if she would still be able to cling to her baby.

Rick watched her for several minutes before he couldn't take anymore. He moved back over to her and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her as she continued to sob. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. He kept his eyes averted from Lori's grave as he turned and led Katherine back into the prison. He took her back to the cell Hershel had put her in and helped her lay back down on the bed. "Any of us are here if you need someone to talk to," he told her as he tucked her back onto the cot. "It's not good to keep yourself closed off from everyone." He sighed. "I just had a friend point that fact out to me."

Katherine didn't respond as she snuggled deeper into the cot, closing her eyes and yawning, but she did look at him as he said good-bye. She watched as he left the cell and walked down the hall before she rolled back over onto her side. She was more exhausted than she thought possible, falling asleep a few minutes later.


	3. Chapter 3

Katherine slowly opened her eyes as she woke up, not quite sure what it was that had brought her out of her dreamless sleep at first. She finally became aware of a noise at the door of the cell they had given her to stay in. She bit her lip, not quite seeing what was going on since it still appeared to be dark, and did her best not to scream. Her hand waved through the air as she reached down beside the cot she was laying on, trying to locate her pack. She had to get to a weapon to be able to defend herself.

"Relax," a gruff voice spoke quietly. "It's just me." Daryl finally managed to slip through the almost closed door of the cell and stood next to the cot. "I wanted to see how you're doin'."

Katherine let out the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding as she recognized the man as the one who had been at the day care. "I'm okay, I think... Daryl, right?"

Daryl nodded, rubbing the palms of his hands on the front of his dirty jeans. "Do you need anything?" he asked. He chewed on the inside of his lower lip as he studied her. She was still really pale, and her eyes looked haunted, but she seemed to be a lot better than she had been the day before. He breathed a little sigh of relief at the realization.

Katherine shook her head. "No," she replied. "I'm fine. Thanks." She looked up into his eyes. "I don't know if I ever thanked you for what you and that girl did for me, but thank you. I know I probably wouldn't be alive if you hadn't come along."

Daryl waved off her thanks. "Don't worry about it. Survivors gotta stick together." He shifted slightly from one foot to the other, looking more than a little ill at ease as he reached up and rubbed the back of his head. "I'll let you get back to sleep. Didn't mean to wake you up. Just wanted to check on you."

Katherine nodded, giving him a small smile before she rolled back over and closed her eyes again. She was sound asleep within minutes.

~C~

Rick looked up as Daryl came into the dining area, holding a bottle so that his daughter could eat. "How's she doing?" he asked, knowing his friend had stopped to check on the new woman.

Daryl couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face as he looked down at the baby. "She looks better than she did last night. I accidentally woke her up, but I think she was back out before I left."

Rick nodded, glad to hear the woman was recuperating well. He glanced up toward the high windows where the sun was just beginning to shine through. "There's a lot we need to get done today," he commented. "I want to get some more of the ground tilled up for Hershel's garden, and I'd like to get a start on a few animal pens."

Daryl grabbed a bowl and scooped himself up some of the eggs that Beth or Maggie had made already that morning, sitting down beside Rick to eat. "Shouldn't be a problem. If we finish early enough, I can take a couple of people out with me to see if we can find some animals to put in them."

"Sounds good to me," Maggie commented as she came over and joined them. "It'd be nice to have some pigs and chickens, maybe even a cow or two." She reached over and gently cupped the top of the baby's head before leaning over to place a tender kiss on her forehead.

Rick finished feeding the baby, moving her up to his shoulder to burp her before handing her to Maggie. "We'll be out in the yard if you need anything," he told her as he and Daryl stood up and left.

~C~

Katherine woke up a couple of hours later, slowly stretching her arms over her head. It took her a few moments to remember where she was and what had happened to her but eventually reality sank in. She slowly pushed herself up off of the cot and slipped her shoes onto her feet. Making sure she had one of her guns and two of her knives on her, she walked out of her cell and began to explore her new home. She started off on the inside, finding her way into various areas while trying to remember the different corridors she took so that she wouldn't get lost.

She found the infirmary first, her eyes widening as she took in all of the supplies that were there. She realized these people had a great set-up going here and wouldn't need a whole lot to be able to survive there for as long as needed in order to survive what had happened to everyone. Making a note of what was available, she kept a mental check list of things to come back for.

The laundry area was her next find, and she wasn't surprised to find it completely stocked with inmate jumpers, sheets, towels, wash cloths, pillows, blankets, laundry soap, and other items that would be found in a laundry.

She came upon the best treasure of all a little over an hour later as she walked into a room that had obviously been used as the prison store. There were bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and other things of that nature that the inmates would have been able to purchase. There were also cigarettes, magazines, books, candy, gum, clothing, stationary, and several other items. She grabbed a pack of gum as she made her way back toward her cell, a small smile on her face.

Beth let out a relieved breath when she saw the new woman approaching. She hurried toward her. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I was worried!"

Katherine looked confused as she studied the young girl. "Worried?" she asked. "Why?"

"Because you disappeared without a word," Hershel responded as he limped over. "We try to let at least one other person know before we go anywhere. That way we know to come looking if they don't come back in a reasonable amount of time."

Katherine nodded. "Makes sense," she said in agreement, holding out the pack of gum toward Beth to offer her a piece. "I'll do that from now on." She glanced around. "Is there any carts or anything I could use to bring some stuff that I found here?" Her eyes twinkled. "There's all kinds of good stuff in the infirmary, laundry, and the inmate store."


End file.
